As an Independent Travel Advisor and a Certified Sandals Specialist, I am very familiar with Sandals, having visited most of the locations to learn about them and stayed at many as a guest on my time off. I do not have to sell Sandals, but I choose to, because I believe in the product and know that when I send clients there they will have a fantastic time, have wonderful customer service and be wowed!

The Royal Bahamian boasts Winner of the 2013 Five Star Diamond Award as well as the Most Elegant Resort in the Bahamas and it is understandable why. Upon arrival you are greeted in the entrance by an impressive set of statues of Poseidon and Amphitrite, which immediately gives you a sense of the décor of this tasteful and elegant resort. Once known as the Balmoral, it was a 1940s high society club and has entertained such celebrities as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor among many others. Later, the Beetles filmed “Help” on the out island.

The first day of our visit we checked into our beautiful Club Level room in the Windsor Tower
overlooking the pool and the ocean. After getting situated and grabbing a cold beverage from our in-room mini-bar, we headed out to see the resort. The roman columns, statues, murals, waterfalls and fountains throughout the property all lend to the ambiance that has allowed Sandals Royal Bahamian to retain the vote for the Most Elegant Resort in the Bahamas for five years running.

We found the service to be attentive and accommodating everywhere; the staff was truly excited to see us and genuinely invested in making our stay the most enjoyable that it could be. Try smiling at the staff and they will certainly smile back! The resort offers something for everyone, whether that be a quiet, un-intruded getaway or a fun-filled time with lots of new friends. By day the Windsor pool offers water games, activities, music and fun. The swim-up bars are fantastic and the bartenders add a personal touch to your day that you cannot find paralleled anywhere else. If you want a more quiet experience, the Balmoral pool is for you. It also boasts a swim-up bar and hot tub, but the mood is more serene and equally as lovely. The pools are crystal clear and they and the bars are immaculately clean.

The Sandals Royal Bahamian is the only resort in Nassau with a private off-shore island and restaurant, and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time there several days, as they have a complimentary ferry that runs every hour. The Zen Garden and Red Lane Spa on the island are beautiful, tranquil, and inviting. The back side of the island has a lovely, quiet beach that overlooks the gorgeous turquoise waters and beautiful white sand, although that side is a bit rocky and not quite as breezy, the view is stunning and it is a great place to look for seashells! The pool on the island also has a swim-up bar and we enjoyed a great lunch at Stewfish, the island restaurant. I had the conch fritters which reminded me of calamari and was delicious.

Speaking of food, in the main resort there are 10 restaurants to choose from. I am always surprised when I hear people complain of the food, as there are numerous choices from French to Caribbean seafood, and there is something for everyone.

Baccarat, the French restaurant, was wonderful. I enjoyed the escargot and the lamb, which was cooked to perfection. With tables placed in the beautiful bay windows, the sit down breakfast there is fantastic (bring your sunglasses) and offers amazing omelets, eggs benedict, lox and bagels, crepes, fresh fruits, and caviar, among other choices- all included!

We enjoyed the signature crab sandwich at the Royal Café for lunch one day, and thought it to be absolutely delicious. Also try the signature drink, the Comba Smash- you will not regret it!

The pizzeria was a favorite of ours for an after pool snack. They will make it just the way you like it!

Spices offers Caribbean cuisine and I am always surprised to read negative reviews about this restaurant. I wonder if those reviewers are simply not interested in Caribbean style food, as the food itself was great and plentiful. It has a buffet for breakfast and lunch, but it is all freshly made, piping hot, and frequently replenished. They also have an array of salads, fresh fruit, cheeses and sweets. The omelet chef remembered our order from a couple of days before; now that is customer service!

The Crystal Room houses the stunning Baccarat Crystal chandelier, which was originally installed by the Duke of Windsor, who was the island’s governor at the time. The food is wonderful and offers Mediterranean cuisine. I had the seafood casserole and my husband had the crab linguine and both were delicious. We headed over to the piano bar feeling very satisfied and pleased.

The Cricketers Pub has great hot wings, burgers, etc. topped off with a very lively atmosphere. The restaurant is a true English pub with decor brought over piece by piece from a true working pub in England.

Gordon’s on the Pier is an open aired restaurant, and every table has an ocean view. I dined there on my last visit, and found it to be a fantastic experience. The lobster was out of season this visit. With lobster being in season only from August through March, the months of April, May, June, and July do not have lobster available. It is illegal for the restaurant to serve it out of season, therefore if lobster is a make-or-break deal for you, I would advise you to visit during the lobster season listed above. In the summer months, it is not in season and cannot be served; just something to keep in mind.

Another really fun addition is the weekly late night chocolate buffet, which is not to be missed. And
don’t forget to take your white clothes for White Night, the same night as the chocolate buffet, as all of the guests are encouraged to dress in white and it is a very elegant time. There are so many fun theme nights, such as White Night, the Art Show, the Reggae Party, the Lovers Game Show, the All that Jazz show, and more— and it is all included! The resort reserves the right to move the activities around, and sometimes that might happen. For instance, I have been here before when they had the beach party on the island but this time they had a lively and fun street party outside of Spices, with Caribbean dancers and musicians, a buffet with a wide variety of food, and of course drinks. The entertainers are great everywhere and make it fun for everyone.

Speaking of evening entertainment, you cannot go wrong with the piano bar. Open until 12:30am, it has several pianists who can play very well. They pass out songbooks and everyone sings and it is a great time! Also, the piano bar has several items and pictures from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and these items are very interesting to view.

On to the watersports! They have hobiecats, paddleboards, kayaks, water bikes, windsurfing and snorkeling equipment. If you are uncomfortable utilizing the hobiecats simply ask someone to take you out on one- they are more than happy to do so. Also to keep in mind, if you get stranded on the water the resort will come rescue you for free, unlike other all-inclusive resorts that will charge you a fee for such service. We went snorkeling, and it is amazing in the Bahamas. The water is clear and there are many types of underwater life such as fish, eels, sea turtles and coral. I would definitely recommend participating in one of these ventures to experience it all. The dive team is superb and I enjoyed a dive on this trip as well. The team is professional and accommodating. Certified divers can even arrange a shark dive to view reef sharks and participate in other specialized dives. Also for certified divers, you get an included two tanks a day! Now that is special! I want to give a big shout out to Brian on the dive team, who was very attentive and accommodating and made my dive extra special.

There are photographers that walk around the resort and capture photos of the guests. You can even go into Snapshots and request a photo session, which I highly recommend as the quality of their pictures is excellent! I am always pleased!

Last but not least, I want to mention the butler service. We traveled with two other couples who
happen to be clients and friends and who had butlers. Moral and his team of butlers were fabulous and exceeded all expectations. They even included us in their special treatment when we were with our friends. They anticipated our every need and went above and beyond, even setting up a fantastic dinner on one of our friend’s patios with food from many of the restaurants and drinks and made sure that we had one of the hot tubs to ourselves the whole evening. I cannot say enough about the butlers! I have read several complaints about the butler service and I feel that these individuals do not understand how to utilize the service. They are all trained to the highest standards by the Guild of Professional English Butlers. If you do not communicate your wishes to them, how will they get to know your personal preferences? You must get to know them in order for them to serve you to their greatest potential. Invest the time. They will knock your socks off. Here are some notes on what to expect with butler service, if you utilize them as they want you to.
• Handle your check in
• Unpack your luggage
• Bring you breakfast in bed, or onto your balcony or patio
• Press your clothes two times complimentary
• Handle other laundry needs
• Bring snacks and beverages anywhere on the resort
• Reserve cabanas on the beach and by the pool
• Restock your bar
• Arrange surprises, private dining and picnics
• And much more. This is just a tiny list of what the butler service is happy to provide for you-all
included!

Here are some quick tips about this resort for your consideration:

• Butler Level rooms have 24 hour room service

• Only a 15 minute drive from the airport

• Nassau’s only resort with a private island

• 10 dining options

• Free wifi for Club Sandals and Butler guests; while it is sometimes spotty at least it is there! I

used it a lot during my stay (I was even able to check my Clash of Clans and fight battles several

times!).

• Fabulous spa services

• The weekly late night chocolate buffet and specialty coffee

• Scuba diving included for certified divers in authentic PADI dive centers

• Sandals Royal Bahamian has earned the Green Star Award

• Check out Sandals Earthguard, the new environmental programme of Sandals and Beaches
resorts

• Check the Sandals Foundation, a nonprofit that gives back to the Caribbean- I am so impressed with this program!

• Beautiful Azure Waters of the Atlantic

• There is something for everyone!

Room Tip:
“The rooms in the Windsor Tower are near the lively pool and water sports area. The new Swim Up Crystal Lagoon suites are perfect for couples who want to be alone. The higher floors boast stunning views. Get a butler!”